When the Brewers went after Tarik Skubal at the 2026 trade deadline, they weren’t just nibbling around the edges. Milwaukee made a real push for the two-time Cy Young Award winner and, according to reporting that surfaced after the season, may have put together a stronger package than the Dodgers.
And now? The Brewers can shrug. They won their first World Series title without surrendering their farm system for a rental.
Back in August, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reported that Milwaukee was willing to send No. 2 prospect Luis Pena plus two other elite prospects, while keeping rookie right-hander Logan Henderson out of the deal. The Tigers were searching for pitching, and that was the sticking point. Then The Athletic’s Andy McCullough added more detail, saying Milwaukee’s offer was Pena, Jett Williams and Josh Adamczewski.
“Despite Detroit's request, the Brewers were unwilling to include rookie righty Logan Henderson, according to people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity in order to speak freely,” McCullough wrote. “They opted to try to convince [Scott Harris] with a trio of well-regarded position player prospects: infielder Luis Pena, super-utility player Jett Williams and outfielder Josh Adamczewski.
From there, the Brewers brass received radio silence until that evening when they saw Dodgers Double-A outfielder Zyhir Hope was scratched. Soon after, Harris called [Matt Arnold] to let him know Skubal would not be a Brewer.”
That’s a haul by any standard, and it makes Detroit’s decision look even more eyebrow-raising in hindsight. Pena is Milwaukee’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 19 overall prospect in baseball.
Adamczewski is the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect and ranks No. 85 overall. Williams sits at No. 10 in the system and was No. 58 overall in 2025, though injuries slowed him in 2026.
Pena, in particular, looks like the kind of piece front offices dream on. The 19-year-old infielder has numbers that track eerily close to Jesus Made, MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect, though injuries have complicated his path. Even so, the expectation is that he could climb much higher on prospect lists by this time next year.
Detroit ultimately landed Zyhir Hope, MLB’s No. 26 prospect, along with River Ryan, the No. 64 prospect, and right-handed pitcher Brady Smith. Ryan came with real uncertainty: a 4.39 ERA in 10 minor league starts in 2026 and a 4.15 ERA in two major league starts, all after missing the entire 2025 season. There’s upside there, but there are also obvious questions.
The Tigers also tried to push for Henderson, which would have been an aggressive ask. But even with a pitcher carrying some baggage, it’s hard to see why Milwaukee’s offer wasn’t enough to seal the deal.
In the end, though, the Brewers are the ones laughing. They kept Pena, Williams and Adamczewski in the organization, won their first championship, and showed they’re built to contend for a long time. Detroit may have passed on a trade package that now looks like a mistake.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Had A Blunt Take After The Dodgers' Collapse
The Dodgers season ended in the harshest way possible, with Milwaukee completing a four-game sweep and celebrating the Brewers first World Series title. For Los Angeles, it was less about one bad inning or one missed chance than a full-series reminder of how quickly October can turn when the other club keeps coming, and Dave Roberts did not shy away from acknowledging Milwaukees edge after the final out.
Even in the aftermath, there were still individual storylines worth pausing on. Dustin May reflected on how meaningful it was to get back to the Fall Classic after a serious health scare two years ago, a perspective that gave the defeat a different kind of weight inside the clubhouse. And while the championship fallout dominated the conversation, attention around the roster plans never really stops, with fantasy baseball analysis already circling pitcher Emmet Sheehan as a name to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Suddenly Linked To A Pricey Elly De La Cruz Pursuit
The offseason rumor mill has already started spinning around Elly De La Cruz, and one of the more eye-catching possibilities involves the Dodgers. MLB insider Jim Bowden reported that the Reds are willing to at least listen on trade interest for the young shortstop, and he specifically pointed to Los Angeles as a club that could make sense if Cincinnati decides to move him. Boston was also in the mix before, with the Red Sox once making a strong push that the Reds turned away.
For the Dodgers, the appeal is obvious. De La Cruz brings the kind of talent that can reshape a lineup and add another dynamic piece to an already ambitious roster, but the path to getting him is anything but simple. Cincinnati has already tried to lock him in with a major extension offer, and Scott Boras represents the kind of agent who tends to make long-term business trickier than most teams would like, which is exactly why this storyline figures to keep gathering steam. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Just Reopened A Painful Dodgers Question
After the Dodgers were swept by the Brewers in the National League Championship Series, Dave Roberts spent some time reflecting on the team that kept rolling all the way to a World Series title in 2026. The Dodgers manager came away impressed with Milwaukees hunger and determination, and he pointed to a specific moment from that run as an example of just how competitive the Brewers were when the stakes were highest.
For a Dodgers club that expected to be in the middle of that October fight, Roberts remarks only bring the old discomfort back to the surface. He admired the way the Brewers handled the playoffs from start to finish, but his comments also reopened the larger question of what separated the two teams when they met, and what Los Angeles will have to find if it wants a different ending next time. [Read more 🡒]